News 15:00

BULLETIN 29 April 3 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# The DA says elections abroad are at risk due to DIRCO’s oversight
# Cape Town plans a four-billion-rand investment in electricity grid upgrades
# And Rugby: England’s Billy Vunipola is arrested in Mallorca

# The DA warns of potential election disruptions abroad on 17 and 18 May due to the failure to budget for the renewal of the diplomatic bag service. This service is vital for communication and document exchange at consulates and embassies worldwide, and crucial for citizens abroad to obtain documents like marriage certificates and passports. The party intends to inform the Electoral Commission and find alternative ballot distribution if the issue persists. The DA’s Emma Louise Powell urges International Relations and Cooperation minister Naledi Pandor to swiftly ensure an uninterrupted service.

# The City of Cape Town says it plans to invest more than four-billion-rand in electricity grid upgrades and maintenance over the next three years. This is part of the city’s proposed Building for Jobs Budget for 2024/2025. Mayoral committee member for Energy, Beverley van Reenen, says with this investment, they are ensuring that Cape Town’s grid infrastructure can cope with a dynamic new energy future:

# ActionSA in KwaZulu-Natal says it will table a motion at the next council meeting to have eThekwini Municipality renamed after former Zulu prime minister Mangosuthu Buthelezi. He died in September last year at the age of 95. ActionSA’s, Sanelisiwe Zuma, says Buthelezi’s lifelong dedication to the fight against apartheid, and his advocacy for peace and reconciliation, are qualities that deserve recognition and honour:

# Rugby: England and Saracens forward Billy Vunipola has been arrested following an alleged violent incident in Mallorca, Spain. English Premiership club Saracens said they were aware of the incident and would be dealing with the matter internally. A local newspaper said 31-year old Vunipola was tasered twice by police. The report said he had at one point removed his shirt and confronted passers-by. It took eight police officers to subdue and handcuff him. He was then taken to a hospital where he had to be sedated.

# Financial indicators: The dollar trades at 18-rand-71-cents and the euro at 20-rand-5-cents. One British pound costs 23-rand-45-cents and Bitcoin trades at 62-thousand-227-dollars-44-cents. Gold sells at two-thousand-341-dollars-73-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 88-dollars-16-cents a barrel.

# And finally: Imprisoned Palestinian author, Basim Khandaqji, won the International Prize for Arabic Fiction for his novel ‘A Mask, the Colour of the Sky’ at a ceremony in Abu Dhabi yesterday. Khandaqji won prize money of 937-thousand-rand, and funding for an English translation. Khandaqji, serving a life sentence on terrorism charges since 2004, was convicted of planning and participating in a bombing at Tel Aviv’s Camel Market. His book follows the life of Nur, a Palestinian archaeologist living in a refugee camp in Ramallah, in an attempt to understand life behind the security fence.

Stay tuned for more news………….